Tidbits

Some stuff I gathered from reading the paper on my way to work every morning:

Ayon sa balita, pag lumindol daw sa Tokyo ng magnitude 8, on a typical workday, all the streets, from alleys to major roads will be filled with people that it would resemble a packed train. What's a packed train like in Tokyo? You'd think canned sardines... I say pickles in a jar! It's soo packed, that there's really no room for you to move any body part except to twitch your face muscles. According to one article, "Six or more people could be squeezed into an area of one square metre (11 square feet) in Tokyo, the world's largest metropolis."
Hmm, densely packed streets that's got broken glass and debris, I wonder if the subway tunnels would hold up to the big one. There's one deep bore subway line here that runs 40 to 50 meters below ground and it stops at my town, nice alternative.

Some of the steel footbridges in Osaka are being dismantled due to high maintenance costs and due to the declining birthrate, there aren't that much children around using these bridges. One complete structure was donated to a town in Indonesia whch was devastated by the 2006 earthquake.
I understand the cost-cutting measures, but it was surprising that a "declining birthrate" was also another main reason to dismantle these structures. Some places in the Philippines could use these bridges too - sa dami ng mga bata ng naglipana sa lansangan.

A private consortium has proposed to rebuild all elevated expressways in Tokyo, 60 meters underground. They've already made a comprehensive study and it shows that their proposal would cut greenhouse gas emissions, create more greenery and open spaces, among other benefits listed here. Estimated construction time: 3 years, using state-of-the-art tunneling method.
Medyo mahirap na yatang masiraan ng kotse kung 60 meters underground ka. Tsaka di pwede yung tulad sa atin na... "o sige, dito na lang ako sa kanto... thanks, for the ride."

Some stations in Tokyo have handed out customized maps to commuters that shows the easiest route to get home on foot in case the BIG ONE strikes. This one I read way before the first tidbit above. Makakapag-basa ka pa ba nun kung sik-sikan na nga sa kalye?